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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. field — for sport
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bore — to drill
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com